Kimmich: Kroos and Neuer are important to the team; we will fight for World Cup

Recently, German midfielder Joshua Kimmich gave an interview in which he discussed Toni Kroos' influence on the German national team and shared his views on several topical issues.

Toni Kroos came back to the national team shortly before the Euros and gave the team stability with his experience and quality. There has been a lot of speculation recently about a Manuel Neuer comeback. Could he give the team what Kroos did? 

Manu can lead any team. He's been the best goalkeeper in the world for 20 years. Ultimately, it was his decision to retire, and we all have to respect his decision. Overall, we're very well equipped in the goalkeeping position; Oliver Baumann has been excellent in recent games.

Who could form the spine of the national team besides you when everyone is fit? 

We have players we can rely on and who can form a stable core. Nico Schlotterbeck and Aleks Pavlović are back in the team for now. And a few more are coming, like Marc-André ter Stegen, Jamal Musiala, and Kai Havertz. And we have several players in the squad who are, or were until recently, captains of their clubs. I have big confidence in the team"

Matthias Sammer criticized German football, including the national team. He said there was a lack of continuity, a lack of a system, a lack of a common thread. What's your take on that?

I did think that immediately before and after the Euros, what made us strong is that we functioned very well as a team. We didn't always play consistently well, but we were very stable. Not in terms of a solid foundation, but in terms of the way we performed together on the pitch. We haven't reached that level recently. But to be honest, we had teams before and after the Euros with Leverkusen, Frankfurt, and also Bayern, where many players were in form and recommended themselves for the national team. We need teams like that. That might sound a bit strange as an FC Bayern player. For example, I often cross my fingers for Frankfurt or Dortmund when they play. It's important for us as a national team that they perform, as they have some players who are potential candidates for us [national team]. We Bayern players are in very good form right now, and Dortmund also seem very stable at the moment. Well-performing clubs serve as the foundation for a strong national team.

The Kroos brothers also voiced criticism. Felix said it's never been easier to be a national team player; he felt like 3-4 good weeks were enough to get a call-up. His brother Toni added that there are hardly any top international players in Germany.

Believe me, we players are very self-critical. We know when we're playing well or badly. As a team, you can't always influence the result, but you can influence the way you achieve success. We have to work on that. And as for the criticism, we have to deal with it.

How strong is your desire to finally succeed at the World Cup? 

I think the World Cup title isn't really within our grasp right now, because we know we have to qualify first. Everyone has to be aware of that. I've often said that the road to a title doesn't begin with the first group game, but long before that. It's nice when everyone has the title as their goal, but we should focus on the next games for now.

One of the most emotional moments of your career was after the group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. With tears in your eyes, you said at the time that you were afraid of falling into a hole and that this debacle would forever be associated with you. Has that burden been lifted?

For me, playing for Germany is the greatest joy. But when you get eliminated in a tournament, it's a bitter experience; especially because that was the second time in a row that we were eliminated in the group stage of a World Cup. Over the years, I've learned to assess things better and deal with success and failure better. As a person, I don't make my well-being so dependent on that anymore. Nevertheless, the inner drive to be successful is present everyday: in training, in matches, at a tournament. But again: first we have to qualify for the World Cup.